NATCHEZ, Miss. – Natchez High School’s administrative team will open its campus Saturday for a tour and conversation as voters decide next week whether to approve borrowing up to $35 million to build a new high school and renovate other schools funded by a property tax increase.

With the “Mission 21 Campaign” culminating at Tuesday’s referendum, NHS administrators decided to volunteer their time Saturday for the community to tour the campus. The tour’s purpose is to assist the community in making an informed decision on whether to vote for or against the bond issue on Tuesday. If passed, it would allow the building of a new high school in the “bean field” adjacent to the current high school on Seargent Prentiss Drive.

The Natchez-Adams School District board is seeking support to construct and renovate its schools for a total cost of about $45 million. Most of the money would be borrowed through the bond issue.

This would cost Natchez-Adams County taxpayers more. Based on calculations done for the NASD board, the tax increase could range from about $44 a year on a house valued at $50,000 to $198 on a house valued at $200,000. For cars, depending on their values, the tax increase could run from about $26 to more than $44 a year.

A 60 percent majority is required for the school-bond issue to pass.

The current high school’s conditions include an open campus layout that is subject to intruders having direct access to any student without having to check in to the office and a layout that forces students to exit classrooms into all weather conditions. The glass-encased classrooms also pose danger to students and staff during severe storms. Additionally, the current structures do not support the bandwidth and computer lab spaces needed to successfully test all students during high-stakes state tests that are now all computer-based tests. Because of the deficiencies, testing periods extend beyond five weeks, and weak signal strength causes some students to lose answers during tests.

There is no reservation needed for Saturday’s NHS tours, which will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

For information about where to vote Tuesday, phone the Adams County Circuit Clerk’s office: 601 446-6326.